Articles tagged with Antivirals
Researchers at UCR discovered that animal cells use RNA silencing to protect themselves from viral infections, a mechanism also found in plants. This breakthrough could lead to new gene therapies and vaccine designs for treating recalcitrant human and animal viral diseases.
Researchers have developed a potent antiviral drug, HDP-CDV, that can block the replication of variola and orthopox viruses, including smallpox. The oral drug is 100 times more active than existing cidofovir and may be used to treat and prevent smallpox infections.
Researchers at Brookhaven Lab have identified a new approach to developing antiviral agents by targeting the protease enzyme used by adenoviruses. The three-pronged therapy approach may overcome drug resistance, as mutations affecting one site are less likely to affect others.
Researchers have visualized the atomic-scale structure of a selectivity filter in ion channels, revealing precise biochemical conditions for ion travel. This discovery may help understand genetic and biochemical abnormalities affecting ion channel proteins, such as long QT syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco has discovered a novel mechanism by which the drug ribavirin kills viruses by generating excess mutations that overwhelm the virus. This unexpected finding may lead to the development of more effective anti-viral treatments for hepatitis C patients.
Researchers found that ribavirin increases the mutation rate of RNA viruses, pushing them into genetic meltdown and making them useless. This mechanism offers hope for designing more effective antiviral drugs.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have made a breakthrough in treating multi-site brain cancers by combining tumor-attacking viruses with an approved chemotherapeutic drug. The treatment works by suppressing the immune system's antiviral response, allowing the virus to selectively kill malignant cells.
A new study by University of Michigan professor Dr. Arnold S. Monto found that zanamivir, an antiviral drug, is 67% effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed clinical influenza infection. The drug was also shown to be 84% effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed illnesses with fever.
A UK allied health professor has received a patent to test the effectiveness of combining lithium salts with existing anti-viral drug agents for AIDS patients. The proposed treatment aims to reduce toxic side effects and enhance the immune system, potentially reducing the amount of virus in the body.
A new study by researchers at UCSF AIDS Research Institute found that a short-course of antiviral drug therapy and high prevalence of HIV-positive women of child-bearing age can produce a cost-effective outcome. If drug prices are lowered to 25% of the industrialized world cost, treatment for 100 women could cost around $1,014.